Puppy Buying Checklist UK: Checks to Make Before You Pay

Buying a puppy is a long-term decision, so the useful work happens before money changes hands. This checklist follows current UK government and animal-welfare guidance. Rules can differ across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so confirm the requirements that apply where the seller is based.

Before contacting the seller

Save the full advert and check whether the same phone number, wording or photographs appear across unrelated listings. Read the puppy's age, location and seller details closely. If the seller presents themselves as a licensed business, ask for the licence number and issuing local authority so you can verify it directly.

At the first visit

Visit the place where the puppy was bred and raised. Ask to see the puppy interacting with its mother and littermates, and do not accept a handover in a car park or other neutral location. Notice the condition of the animals and their environment. A responsible seller should allow time for questions and should be interested in whether your home suits the puppy.

Check the puppy and its records

Ask for the puppy's date of birth, microchip evidence, vaccination and veterinary records, parasite-treatment history, and any health-screening evidence relevant to the parents' breed. Match names and identifying details across the records. Registration with a breed organisation is not, by itself, proof of health or responsible breeding.

Before paying or collecting

Read the written contract, understand what is and is not included, and keep a traceable record of the advert, messages, seller identity and payment. Do not proceed because of pressure, a countdown or a delivery offer. In England, government guidance says buyers should deal directly with the breeder or a reputable rehoming centre, and puppies must not be sold below the applicable minimum age.

After bringing the puppy home

Confirm how the microchip record will be transferred and book your own veterinary appointment promptly. Keep the contract and all original records together. If information supplied at collection does not match the advert or documents, pause the transaction and seek advice before taking the puppy.

Choose the right country checklist

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have distinct rules and authorities. Ask where the puppy is bred and will be collected before verifying licences or legal requirements. For Northern Ireland, consult nidirect and the relevant district council. Cross-border travel needs separate checking.

A final pause before collection

Compare the puppy's identity, agreed price and current vaccination record with the saved advert and contract. Confirm outstanding care, the feeding routine and microchip transfer. A missing promised record is a reason to pause, not to assume it will follow after payment.